Ditch the Ekka – fish the ‘Pin!Mick Morris | First Published: August 2005

It’s Ekka time again and that means two things: days off and westerly winds. Combine the two and it’s the perfect time to head out and fish the waterways that make up the Jumpinpin area. It’s easier to cross the ‘Pin bar and make your way to the close inshore reefs where medium sized snapper and grass sweetlip have been on offer. The odd tailor, flathead and trag jew have also been caught from the reefs.

Inside the bar, tailor have been prevalent mainly early in the mornings. Size is the main problem, with chopper-sized fish making up the bulk of catches from the bar through to Short Island. Greenbacks are sometimes amongst these smaller fish but most of the larger fish have been coming from the surf of North and South Stradbroke Island. You can’t go past pilchards for bait but the best fish have been caught on bonito flesh and small gar. There are plenty of dart and big bream in the surf as well.

The water temp is still very cold so the bream are around in great numbers. Mostly juvenile bream but that’s nothing new as Jumpinpin is a nursery ground that provides protection and shelter where they can grow with few predators. Larger bream have mainly been caught at night or near the top of the tide from Short Island, Kalinga Bank, Tabby Tabby and the north wall of the Seaway. The best baits have been yabbies, mullet gut, chook gut and prawns.

The flathead generally run on the first full moon in September, but with a late moon this month they may run early so head out around the 20th and have a go. There have been a lot of flatties around anyway, mainly from Kalinga Bank, Canaipa Passage near Oak Island and Little Rocky Point. Small pillies, froggies, whitebait and soft plastics have been the best for scoring a lizards.

If you’re after whiting don’t expect to find huge ones, but there are still decent enough fish around the 400g mark though, and you’ll find these around the Never Fail Islands, Green Bank, the Broadwater and the Powerlines. As usual worms are the way to go.

Jew have been a little scarce with only a few schoolies coming from Marks Rocks in the Logan and the ‘Pin bar on live banana prawns and mullet.

Thanks for all your reports and fish weighed in and if you’d like any information or advice drop us a line at Gem Bait & Tackle on 07 3287 3868 or email --e-mail address hidden-- I’ll catch you next month.

[CAPTIONS]

1) Winter is a good time to cross the ‘Pin bar to fish the close inshore reefs for snapper.

2) Bob Ryan caught this 2.53kg tailor at Short Island. Tailor have been common catches inside the bar, but the bigger specimens have been few and far between lately.